Ukraine's interior minister says police have detained a notorious prankster who jumped onto the stage during the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv and bared his buttocks as a Ukrainian singer was performing.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said in a May 14 Facebook post that police had detained Vitaliy Sedyuk, who performed the stunt on live television as Ukrainian singer Jamala was performing during the previous night's Eurovision final.
Avakov said that Sedyuk had been detained by event security and police, and that he resisted the detaining officers. The minister added that Sedyuk had been placed in custody for 72 hours, and that he faced "hooliganism" charges punishable by up to five years in prison.
Sedyuk had previously gained worldwide attention with stunts targeting the global entertainment elite, including trying to kiss actor Will Smith at a 2012 film premiere in Moscow and grabbing the microphone from British singer Adele as she accepted an award at the 2013 Grammy Awards.
Ukraine earned the right to host the 2017 Eurovision contest after Jamala, a Crimean Tatar performer, won last year's contest in Sweden with a song about the 1944 deportation of Crimean Tatars by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
Portugal won the May 13 final in Kyiv with a performance by singer Salvador Sobra.
With reporting by Reuters
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